A Prospective Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Three Delivery Methods of Mitomycin-C for Trabeculectomy Surgery: Preoperative Subconjunctival Injection, Intraoperative Subconjunctival Injection, and Topical Application (Conventional Use) During Trabeculectomy Surgery

In this Pilot explorative study, the investigators are going to estimate and compare the outcomes of three different delivery methods of MMC for Trabeculectomy: a subconjunctival injection of MMC 0.002% at the site of future Trabeculectomy two to four weeks before the surgery, a subconjunctival injection of MMC 0.01% intraoperatively and topical sponge applied MMC 0.02% intraoperatively (typical use) in patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma who did not have any filtering surgeries before.

After obtaining informed consent from the patients, the patients are randomly divided into three groups via a block randomization method: Group A receives 0.1 mL MMC 0.002 % (0.1mL MMC 0.02mg/mL) subconjunctival injection preoperatively in superior conjunctiva at the site of future Trabeculectomy surgery. Group B receives 0.1mL MMC 0.01% subconjunctival injection intraoperatively at the site of Trabeculectomy and Group C receives conventional sponge delivery of MMC 0.02% intraoperatively. To avoid observer bias during postoperative evaluation of results, IOP staff obtaining measurements of IOP will be masked to the randomization allocation.

All groups undergo conventional Trabeculectomy surgery (fornix-based) as scheduled, and the same routine follow up and post-op regimen will be scheduled for all three groups. Patients are routinely visited in the clinic at first day postoperatively, one week (+/-2 days), one month (+/-1 week), three months (+/-2 weeks), six months (+/-3 weeks) and finally at one year (+/-(4 weeks)). In each of these visits we will be assessing: Visual acuity, intraocular pressure, number and type of glaucoma medication, slit lamp examination of the anterior segment and fundus examination.